Spring and frame assembly

ABSTRACT

A spring and frame assembly, particularly for box springs for beds, consisting of a plurality of main springs arranged crisscross fashion on a rectangular supporting frame and internal support springs supported on the frame and secured to the main springs. Each of the springs has a resilient end portion mounted on the frame, and most of these end portions are constructed so that they terminate in mounting torsion bars which extend transversely of the frame members, thereby transmitting spring forces to the frame as compression forces.

Umted States Patent 11113,574,240

[72] Inventor Walter V. Slominski [56] References Cited Lexington, Ky. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 pp 770,707 3,286,281 11/1966 Slominski 5/247 1 Filed Oct-25,1968 3,288,458 11/1966 Gutzman 267/107 [45] Patented Apr. 13, 1971 [73] Assignee Hoover Ball and Bearing Company PmfmTy y y saline, Mich Assistant ExammerAndrew M. Calvert Attorney-Olsen and Stephenson ABSTRACT: A spring and frame assembly, particularly for box springs for beds, consisting of a plurality of main springs arranged crisscross fashion on a rectangular supporting frame [54] SPRIFG 3 ASSEMBLY and internal support springs supported on the frame and 9 Chums rawmg secured to the main springs. Each of the springs has a resilient [52] U.S. Cl 5/247, end portion mounted on the frame, and most of these end 267/107 portions are constructed so that they terminate in mounting [51] Int. Cl A47c 23/02 torsion bars which extend transversely of the frame members, [50] Field of Search 5/247; thereby transmitting spring forces to the frame as compression 267/102, 103; 267/107, 110; 5/351 forces.

24 E /0 L L 5 j... E'J 26 l L EJ /4 L K J] K L /6' -/6 a L28 j 6 mu] L an a PATENTED APR 1 3|97| v 31574240 I INVENTOR WALTER v. SLOMINSKI SPRING AND FRAME ASSEMBLY CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The spring and frame assembly of this application is of the same general type as the box spring assemblies shown in US. Pat. No. 3,286,281 and Ser. No. 644,358 filed Jun. 7, i967, both of which are assigned to the assignee of this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The conventional box spring consists of a rectangular wooden frame on which a plurality of coil springs and border wires are mounted, and a fabric cover and pad which are positioned over the springs and the border wires and attached to the frame. The spring and frame assembly of this invention is particularly adapted for box springs and consists generally of a wooden frame, a plurality of substantially identical mainsprings which extend crisscross fashion above the frame and have depending resilient end portions secured to the frame, and internal springs which are similarly mounted on the frame and are secured to the mainsprings which are similarly mounted on the frame and are secured to the main springs intermediate their ends for strength purposes. In the constructions illustrated in the above referred to prior patent and application, some of the spring loads are transmitted to the frame so as to apply twisting forces to the frame components and also to cause relative movement of some of the frame components. This necessitates an unnecessarily heavy frame construction and can result in undesirable frame noise. The spring and frame assembly of this invention is an improvement on the ones shown in the aforementioned patent and application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The spring and frame assembly of this invention consists of a rectangular frame and transversely extending support members or slats which are mounted on the frame in a substantially equally spaced relation desirable for ease of manufacture purposes. The resilient end portions of the transversely extending mainsprings and the internal support springs are arranged in parallel rows corresponding to the location of the spring-support members. Mounting torsion bars at the lower ends of the transversely extending main springs and the internal support springs are supported on the spring-support members so that they are substantially centered thereon and extend transversely thereof. As a result, the spring loads are transferred primarily to the spring-support members as compression loads spaced along the lengths of the support members. This precludes twisting of the springsupport members, which is desirable for strength purposes, and also precludes relative movement of the spring-support members and the side rails in the frame thus preventing the possibility of frame noise.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved frame and spring assembly of the above-described type in which the springs and the frame are cooperatively structured so as to achieve a spring support which is readily manufactured and which has improved strength characteristics.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the spring and frame assembly of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a developed plan view of an internal support spring in the spring and frame assembly of this invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view of a portion of the spring and frame assembly of this invention as seen from substantially the line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of an internal support spring and the support members therefor in the spring and frame assembly of this invention.

With reference to the drawing, the spring and frame assembly of this invention, indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1 as including a rectangular support frame 12, illustrated as being formed of wood, a plurality of mainsprings 14 which extend lengthwise of the frame 12 and a plurality of mainsprings 16 which extend transversely of the main frame 12. The main frame 12 includes a pair of end rails 18 and a pair of side rails 20 on which a plurality of springsupport members or slats 22 are mounted. As shown in FIG. 1, the spring-support members 22 are arranged in a substantially parallel evenly spaced relation which facilitates their assembly with the side rails 20. A sectional border wire 24 is secured to the mainsprings l4 and 16 so that the border wire 24 is disposed above the frame rails 18 and 20. A plurality of internal support springs 26, illustrated as being 12 in number, support intermediate portions of the mainsprings 14 and 16 on the spring-support members 22.

The mainsprings 14 and 16 are substantially identical, differing only in that the springs 14 are longer than the springs 16, and are described in detail in the aforementioned patent. Each mainspring 14 and 16 includes a substantially straight load-supporting or body portion 28 which is formed at its ends with integral depending end portions 30 which are rightand left-hand versions of each other. Each end portion 30 extends in a direction generally normal to the body portion 28 and functions to resiliently support one end of the body portion 28 above the frame rail 20. Each mainspring is formed, at the juncture of the load-supporting portion 28 and the end portion 30 with a first torsion bar 32 and terminates in a mounting torsion bar 34 secured by staples 36 to the supporting frame rail 18 or a slat 22. Inclined connecting bars and additional torsion bars connect the torsion bar 32 in each case to the mounting torsion bar 34 which is provided with a frame engaging stabilizing foot 38. Each torsion bar 32 is connected by a conventional spring clip 40 to the border wire 24 which reinforces the torsion bar 32 so that it cannot tilt to any great extent toward the adjacent torsion bar 32.

Each internal support spring 26 also includes a straight load-supporting or body portion 60, which, as shown in FIG. 1, extends somewhat diagonally across the rectangular space formed by intersecting pairs of mainsprings l4 and 16. Thus, the spring body portions 28 and 60 are disposed substantially in a common plane so that they cooperate to form a substantially flat deck disposed above the frame 12 a distance corresponding to the desired thickness of the spring and frame assembly 10. The ends of the straight wire load support portion 60 in each internal spring 26 are formed with substantially parallel straight wire attaching sections 62 which are secured by clips 63 (FIG. 1) to the transverse mainsprings 16. These straight wire sections 62 are formed integral with the top torsion bars 64 in the resilient end portions 66 for the internal support spring 26, with the end portions 66 extending generally perpendicular to the load-supporting portion 60. Clips 65 connect the torsion bars 64 to the longitudinal mainsprings 14.

The internal spring end portions 66 are substantially identical, as shown in FIG. 4, each consisting of three torsion bars 68 connected by inclined connecting bars 70 and terminating in a mounting torsion bar 72, with the mounting torsion bars 72 for each internal spring 26 being parallel to each other and to the mounting torsion bars 34 for the transverse mainsprings 16. The mounting torsion bars 72 for each spring 26 are also spaced apart in a direction longitudinally of the frame 12 corresponding to the spacing between adjacent spring-support members 22. As shown in FIG. 4, each mounting torsion bar 72 is attached to a springsupport member 22 by staples 74 which extend across the torsion bar 72 and project into the support member 22. Each torsion bar 72 is formed integral with a substantially L-shaped foot 76 which engages the top side of the support member 22 so as to prevent rotation of the torsion bar 72 on the support member 22 when the spring 26 is loaded. The top torsion bar 64 in each spring end portion 66 is spaced from the adjacent torsion bar 68 by an upright spacer bar 77, the length of which is adjusted to provide the spring 26 with the desired height, as explained in the aforementioned application.

It can thus be seen that each spring-support member 22 has a plurality of mounting torsion bars 34 and 72 supported thereon and attached thereto, with all of the thus supported torsion bars being parallel, extending transversely of the member 22, and being in a substantially centered relation thereon. As a result, all of the loads transmitted to the support members 22 are substantially compressive loads which do not tend to twist the support member 22. Furthermore, since the mounting torsion bars 34 for the mainsprings 16 are supported directly on the spring-support members 22 which are in turn supported on the frame side rails 20, there is no tendency of the spring loads to move the frame rails 20 and the support members 22 relative to each other. Thus, this arrangement precludes frame noise due to relative movement of these frame components.

This desirable arrangement is achieved by virtue of the construction of the internal springs 26 so that the mounting torsion bars 72 are parallel and are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing of the spring-support members 22. The internal springs 26 are identical, thereby facilitating economical production, and the mounting of these identical springs on the members 22 is enabled by the uniform spacing of the members 22. This uniform spacing also simplifies construction of the frame 12 with existing machinery.

The longitudinally extending mainsprings 14 are supported on the end rails 18 which can be formed of the strength necessary to resist the loads applied thereto.

It will be understood that the spring and frame assembly which is hereindisclosed and described is presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and is not intended to indicate limits of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claims.

Iclaim: v

l. A spring and frame assembly comprising a substantially horizontal rectangular frame, a plurality of spring-support members extending transversely of and supported on said frame, a plurality of substantially parallel transversely spaced first wire springs, each of said springs having a body portion and downwardly extending end portions, said springs being arranged so that said body portions are in a horizontally spaced relation, each of said end portions being disposed below said body portion and terminating in a mounting torsion bar, the mounting torsion bars at opposite ends of each said springs being engaged with the top side of one of said springsupport members at positions extending transversely thereof in a substantially centered relation therewith, a plurality of internal springs, each of said internal springs being secured to and extending between the body portions of adjacent ones of said first springs, each of said internal springs including a body portion and end portions disposed below said body portion and terminating in mounting torsion bars which are supported on an adjacent pair of said spring-support members at positions substantially parallel to the first spring-mounting torsion bars engaged with said support members, and connecting means attaching said springs to said support members so as to maintain said mounting torsion bars in engagement therewith.

2. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 1 wherein said frame has a pair of side rails arranged in a supporting relation with said spring-support members and a pair of end rails, and wherein said assembly further includes a plurality of substantially parallel transversely spaced second wire springs arranged substantially parallel transversely spaced second wire springs arranged substantially perpendicular to said first wire prings, each of said second wire springs having a body portion and downwardly extending end portions, means connecting the body portions in adjacent ones of said second wire springs to the same ones of said internal springs, and means connecting the end portions of said second wire springs to said frame end rails so that said end portions areinasupported relation thereon.

3. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means consists of staples extended across said mounting torsion bars and projected into said spring-support members.

4. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said end portions of said first and internal springs includes a plurality of torsion bars disposed in a substantially parallel relation with the torsion bars in the end portions of the remaining first and internal springs.

5. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 2 wherein said support members are arranged in a substantially equally spaced relation on said frame side rails.

6. A wire spring comprising a body portion adapted to be disposed in a plane and having a pair of ends, a pair of end portions formed integral with said ends of said body portion and extending downwardly from said body portion, each of said end portions including a torsion bar disposed in said plane at the juncture of said body and end portions, a plurality of torsion bars disposed below said juncture torsion bar, connecting bars extending between said torsion bars with at least some of said connecting bars being relatively inclined for movement toward and away from each other, and a mounting torsion bar at the lower end of each end portion, the mounting torsion bars for said spring being in a substantially parallel relation and being spaced apart predetermined distances both transversely and longitudinally thereof.

7. A wire spring according to claim 6 wherein said body portion is formed at the ends thereof with substantially parallel attaching sections which are substantially perpendicular to said juncture torsion bars and are spaced apart in a direction transversely of said body portion.

8. In a spring and frame assembly which includes a substantially horizontal rectangular frame, a plurality of spring-support members extending transversely of and supported on said frame, and a plurality of main wire springs on said frame, each of said mainsprings having a body portion and downwardly extending end portions, said springs being arranged so that said body portions are disposed crisscross fashion in a substantially horizontal plane located above said frame, a plurality of internal springs, each of said internal springs including a body portion disposed substantially in said horizontal plane and end portions disposed below said body portion and terminating in mounting torsion bars which are supported on an adjacent pair of said spring-support members, the mounting torsion bars for each of said internal springs being substantially parallel to each other and extending transversely of said support members, connecting means attaching said springs to said support members so as to maintain said mounting torsion bars in engagement therewith, and means attaching the body portion of each of said internal springs to the body portions of adjacent mainsprings.

9. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 8 wherein said mainsprings cooperate to form rectangular spaces in said plane and each of said internal spring body portions extends substantially diagonally of one of said spaces and is secured to the body portions of the mainsprings forming said one space.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 569 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 574, 240 Dated Agril 13, 1971 Invent0r(s) alter V. Slominski It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby cortected as shown below:

Col. 3, claim 2, line 66, cancel 'pax allel transversely".

Col. 4, claim 2, cancel line 1.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of August 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A spring and frame assembly comprising a substantially horizontal rectangular frame, a plurality of spring-support members extending transversely of and supported on said frame, a plurality of substantially parallel transversely spaced first wire springs, each of said springs having a body portion and downwardly extending end portions, said springs being arranged so that said body portions are in a horizontally spaced relation, each of said end portions being disposed below said body portion and terminating in a mounting torsion bar, the mounting torsion bars at opposite ends of each said springs being engaged with the top side of one of said spring-support members at positions extending transversely thereof in a substantially centered relation therewith, a plurality of internal springs, each of said internal springs being secured to and extending between the body portions of adjacent ones of said first Springs, each of said internal springs including a body portion and end portions disposed below said body portion and terminating in mounting torsion bars which are supported on an adjacent pair of said spring-support members at positions substantially parallel to the first spring-mounting torsion bars engaged with said support members, and connecting means attaching said springs to said support members so as to maintain said mounting torsion bars in engagement therewith.
 2. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 1 wherein said frame has a pair of side rails arranged in a supporting relation with said spring-support members and a pair of end rails, and wherein said assembly further includes a plurality of substantially parallel transversely spaced second wire springs arranged substantially parallel transversely spaced second wire springs arranged substantially perpendicular to said first wire springs, each of said second wire springs having a body portion and downwardly extending end portions, means connecting the body portions in adjacent ones of said second wire springs to the same ones of said internal springs, and means connecting the end portions of said second wire springs to said frame end rails so that said end portions are in a supported relation thereon.
 3. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means consists of staples extended across said mounting torsion bars and projected into said spring-support members.
 4. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said end portions of said first and internal springs includes a plurality of torsion bars disposed in a substantially parallel relation with the torsion bars in the end portions of the remaining first and internal springs.
 5. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 2 wherein said support members are arranged in a substantially equally spaced relation on said frame side rails.
 6. A wire spring comprising a body portion adapted to be disposed in a plane and having a pair of ends, a pair of end portions formed integral with said ends of said body portion and extending downwardly from said body portion, each of said end portions including a torsion bar disposed in said plane at the juncture of said body and end portions, a plurality of torsion bars disposed below said juncture torsion bar, connecting bars extending between said torsion bars with at least some of said connecting bars being relatively inclined for movement toward and away from each other, and a mounting torsion bar at the lower end of each end portion, the mounting torsion bars for said spring being in a substantially parallel relation and being spaced apart predetermined distances both transversely and longitudinally thereof.
 7. A wire spring according to claim 6 wherein said body portion is formed at the ends thereof with substantially parallel attaching sections which are substantially perpendicular to said juncture torsion bars and are spaced apart in a direction transversely of said body portion.
 8. In a spring and frame assembly which includes a substantially horizontal rectangular frame, a plurality of spring-support members extending transversely of and supported on said frame, and a plurality of main wire springs on said frame, each of said mainsprings having a body portion and downwardly extending end portions, said springs being arranged so that said body portions are disposed crisscross fashion in a substantially horizontal plane located above said frame, a plurality of internal springs, each of said internal springs including a body portion disposed substantially in said horizontal plane and end portions disposed below said body portion and terminating in mounting torsion bars which are supported on an adjacent pair of said spring-support members, the mounting torsion bars for each of said internal springs being substantially parallel to each other and extending transversely of said support members, connecting means attaching said springs to said support membErs so as to maintain said mounting torsion bars in engagement therewith, and means attaching the body portion of each of said internal springs to the body portions of adjacent mainsprings.
 9. A spring and frame assembly according to claim 8 wherein said mainsprings cooperate to form rectangular spaces in said plane and each of said internal spring body portions extends substantially diagonally of one of said spaces and is secured to the body portions of the mainsprings forming said one space. 